Price confusion

[whole diary]

[devonian]

I'm looking at going from Camberley to Ashford (Kent) on 28th December. Can anyone explain why the Anytime ticket is cheaper than the Off-Peak. And also, why the return is cheaper than the single? I only need a single.

Also, are there no services from Blackwater on a Sunday?

I've tried splitting the route avoiding London via Redhill and Tonbridge but have the same issues.

Also, Why to Southern/South-Eastern not have Off-peak singles? Only Anytime on this route?

Am I missing something?  Can anyone help?

[devon_metro]

Your cheapest option is:

CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day'))   -  OFF-PEAK DAY R               SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET))
00703 -  LONDON NOT UND 

   1 Adult    @^    26.80  =  ^    26.80
                              __________
                              ^    26.80

Standard Class Return

[Btline]

Why does it say CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')), I thought it was Off peak?

[IndustryInsider]

Why does it say CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')), I thought it was Off peak?

It is. They just haven't changed the 3 letter abbreviation for many of the fares I believe?

[Btline]

Excellent, yet another reason why the fares "simplification" was a waste of time.

[devon_metro]

Btline, suggest a TLA^▸ (three letter acronym) for Off Peak Day Return

[Btline]

ADS Anytime Day Single
ADR
AOS Open
AOR

FDS First Day Single
FDR etc.
FOS
FDR

ODS Off Peak
ODR
OOS
OOR

SDS Super Off Peak
SDR
SOS
SOR

ADV Advance
FAD First Advance

If the old names are used on machines and websites, then people will say them, thereby making the whole thing pointless. If I see CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) I think "cheap dat return" - how do I know which of the new names it is? And it does not help that there can be several off peak tickets of different prices for the same journey!

Also: let's axe the whole day and open idea. Lets make it so both are valid for one month from purchase. That would be SIMPLIFICATION.

[devon_metro]

The new codes aren't used on websites. That information is taken from the fares manual (NFM01) via Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains) Traveller

[devonian]

Thanks for the info.

Why can't I get this on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website? Or any website for that matter. I can get any day except Sunday. I got it once - but when I changed the number of people travelling, it lost it again. 

[Ollie]

Looking at National Rail the fare for ^26.80 shows for me..

[devonian]

Thanks for the help everyone. I am however slightly further confused.

The fastest journey is Blackwater>Redhill>Tonbridge>Ashford. The alternative is via Waterloo.

National Rail pulls up the Redhill route first yet the only available ticket is an all line rover at a modest ^620. Yet if I split it into FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) services, I can get it for ^44.65 (2 travelling, one on a 16-25 railcard). Why will it not pull up a through ticket? Through tickets are available for the Waterloo route. Surely it is best to keep people away from London if they can complete their journey without having to use a terminus? Especially when the non-London route is quicker?

Am I doing something blindingly obviously wrong here?

 

[TerminalJunkie]

Thanks for the help everyone. I am however slightly further confused.

The fastest journey is Blackwater>Redhill>Tonbridge>Ashford. The alternative is via Waterloo.

National Rail pulls up the Redhill route first yet the only available ticket is an all line rover at a modest ^620. Yet if I split it into FGW^▸ (First Great Western) and SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) services, I can get it for ^44.65 (2 travelling, one on a 16-25 railcard). Why will it not pull up a through ticket? Through tickets are available for the Waterloo route. Surely it is best to keep people away from London if they can complete their journey without having to use a terminus? Especially when the non-London route is quicker?

Am I doing something blindingly obviously wrong here?

The only fares for Camberley to Ashford are all Route London (Not Underground), which means if you want to avoid Waterloo you will have to split the journey into Camberley to (Other Station) and (Other Station) to Ashford yourself.

[eightf48544]

Also: let's axe the whole day and open idea. Lets make it so both are valid for one month from purchase. That would be SIMPLIFICATION.

I believe one of the reasons why returns in the South East were made Day returns only was that people were buying Period returns and because it was the start of demanning stations they  were using the return half for multiple journies during its validity or until it was checked and clipped. You could also use the outward half for three days if it wasn't collected.